The Hospital
by Kazix
Summary: In order to graduate, Kagome must put in community service hours. Sango persuades her that helping at the hospital is the easiest way to do it. At first things ARE pretty easy, but little does she know that things were about to get difficult. IK SM
1. The Patient

Kyuuka's AN: Okay, guys, kyuuka-kitsune here, back with another story, only this time, I have a co-author, Xessive, or as we call him, Cheesecake. Anyway, I've written the first chapter and inserted his ideas and pretty soon he'll start writing chapters, inserting my ideas, whether he wants to or not! Hehe, anyway, read and review!

Xessive's A/N: Well...sadly I'm involved in this story, I'm not sure how Kyuuka got me to have any part in this...but she did, so for now you'll hardly be seeing anything from me, maybe a suggestion or two that Kyuuka writes but not much right now. I might be writing some stuff later, right now I lack confidence and any writing skills.

Disclaimer: We don't own Inuyasha & co.

**_The Hospital_**

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**Chapter 1: The Patient**

Kagome walked into the hospital a little nervous. Hospitals always made her uneasy, but she needed community service hours so she wasn't going to back out now. She walked up to service counter and cleared her throat to get the attention of the lady behind the desk.

"Hello and how may I help you?" she asked sweetly.

"Yes, I'm Higurashi Kagome and I came to do volunteer work for community service hours," she explained. The lady nodded.

"That's right, wait for a moment while I get Dr. Kaede," the lady instructed as she stepped to the back room. Kagome sighed and walked to the waiting room. She sifted through the magazines not finding anything she liked. She sighed again and looked out the large glass windows. The city was bustling with activity and it was a beautiful day outside.

"Miss Higurashi," came an unfamiliar voice. Kagome looked up to see the source. It was an elderly woman. "Miss Higurashi," she repeated, "I understand you're here to do volunteer work?"

Kagome nodded. "You will do as I instruct you. It's important to listen, especially when helping patients," advised Kaede. Kagome nodded again. "Follow me, child," Dr. Kaede instructed, walking slowly to a hallway. Kagome stood up and quickly followed, not wanting to be left behind. They walked down the long hallway in silence as Dr. Kaede flipped through pages on a clipboard. She stopped at the first door they encountered.

"This patient has recently undergone surgery. They'll be pretty easy to handle, but we'll worry about them later. Our first patient of the day is farther down the hall," she explained as they continued down the hall. She reached another door at the far end of the hall and stopped yet again.

"Now, this patient has been in a coma for approximately 3 weeks now. He got into a fight with a powerful youkai and was severely wounded. Before you become frightened, I must warn you that he is a hanyou. His wounds consist of a hole through his stomach region. It's healing quite well since he's a hanyou, but it must still be dressed daily. Now come, child," invited Dr. Kaede as she stepped inside the room. Kagome shyly followed and immediately saw a boy about 2 years older than her lying on the hospital bed. He had long silver hair and cute puppy dog ears. Kagome immediately wanted to pet them, but with Dr. Kaede there she figured it wouldn't be a very good idea.

"Right now I need you to clean and dress his wound," stated Dr. Kaede turning to Kagome. "Do you think you can handle that?"

"Yes, ma'am!" replied Kagome.

"Good. I must go check on some other patients now. Call me if you need help with anything," instructed Dr. Kaede as she disappeared through the doorway. Kagome cautiously approached the seemingly sleeping figure. She carefully pulled the blanket down to his hips and pulled his hospital gown up to see the wound. She slowly and cautiously unwound the bandage from his body and winced when she saw the uncovered wound. Realizing she had nothing to clean or redress the wound with, she began searching the room. She finally found bandages and some Neosporin after opening a cupboard.

She walked over to the hanyou and wondered what his name was. She then lifted his hand, knowing hospitals always put an identification bracelet on you when you were brought in. The only thing the bracelet said was 'Inuyasha'. 'Odd...there's no last name,' she thought. She shrugged it off and applied the Neosporin, making sure to clean the entire wound. She then wrapped it with the bandage. Pleased with her work, she lowered the hospital gown again and pulled the blanket up to cover him. She smiled at his innocent appearance and realized that if she wanted to touch his ears, this was the opportune moment. She slowly reached to his ears and stopped, wondering if this really was a good idea or not. She took in a deep breath and rubbed his ears, instantly liking the soft, fuzzy feel to them. Having satisfied her curiosity, she retracted her hands and sighed. She returned the Neosporin to its proper place and threw the dirty bandages in the garbage can.

The door suddenly swung open and in walked Dr. Kaede. "Ah, you have done a fine job," praised Dr. Kaede as she examined Kagome's handiwork. "We must now attend the other patients," she informed as she led the way down the hall. Taking one last look at this mysterious Inuyasha, Kagome followed.

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"Sango, how did you convince me to do volunteer work at the hospital?" Kagome questioned her phone.

"Kagome, you know you need community service hours to graduate," Sango reminded her friend for the millionth time.

"But you know how much hospitals creep me out!" complained Kagome.

Sango sighed, "I know, but it's the easiest way to get those hours."

"You know I had to change a guy's bandages today? A guy that was in a coma!? Do you know how creepy that is!?"

"Kagome, he was just in a coma...it's almost like he's sleeping; only they don't know when he's going to wake up."

"Yeah, I know, but what if he woke up while I was changing his bandages?"

"Kagome, you and I both know that the chances of that happening are slim to none." Sango heard mumbling on the other line. "Huh?" Sango asked, urging her friend to repeat what she said.

"I said he was kind of cute," replied Kagome. Sango could just imagine her friend's blushing face.

"Well what was his name?"

"Inuyasha...he's a hanyou..."

"I see...so how did he come to be in a coma?"

"He got into a fight with a youkai and got a nasty hole through his stomach," explained Kagome, remembering the gruesome wound.

"So he must be pretty strong then?"

"Yeah, I guess," replied Kagome.

"So if he does wake up when you're around, you're going to ask him out, right?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Sango, you know that Hojo and I are going out."

"Yeah, but Kagome, he's not good enough for you!" retorted Sango.

"He's nice, caring, friendly...uh...and has other good qualities!" It was Sango's turn to roll her eyes.

"And he's dense as a brick! Really, Kagome, you can do a lot better than that!" Kagome sighed. She knew Sango was right as usual. But she just couldn't bring herself to break up with Hojo. That boy was too fragile.

"I know, Sango, I know...hey, I gotta go, smells like Mom's making dinner!"

"Alright, just remember what I told you...and tell your mom I said hi!"

"Will do! See ya later!"

"See ya!" Kagome listened as Sango's phone clicked off before hanging up her own phone. She then made her way downstairs and found her mom making her delicious lemon chicken.

"Anything I can do to help?" asked an ever helpful Kagome. Ms. Higurashi smiled at her daughter.

"Sure. You can get the rice started and then set the table, ok?"

"Sure thing! Oh, and before I forget, Sango says hi," Kagome said, searching the cabinets for the rice cooker. Ms. Higurashi chuckled.

"Tell her to come over for dinner next time. You know Sango's always welcome here."

"Yeah, I know. She just doesn't like to intrude, even though I tell her she's not," laughed Kagome as she pulled out the rice cooker.

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Kagome impatiently tapped her pencil on the desk, glancing at the clock every few seconds. Only a few more minutes until school let out for the day.

"Kagome!" At hearing her name being loudly whispered, she whipped her head around to face the cause.

"Huh?" Kagome grunted distractedly, facing Sango.

"Kagome, don't be so uptight. Hospitals aren't that bad, just calm down," Sango said reassuringly, knowing the cause for Kagome's nervousness. Kagome sighed.

"I know, Sango, but there's just something about hospitals that I don't like."

"Don't worry about it, everything will be fine." Suddenly getting an idea, Kagome grabbed her friend's arm.

"Sango! Why don't you come with me?" she pleaded. Sango removed Kagome's hands from her arm.

"I can't today, I have detention after school," she explained a bit bitterly, ignoring Kagome's confused face.

"What did you do this time?"

Sango growled in frustration. "Some guy whistled at me in the hall so I knocked him out," Sango huffed, crossing her arms. Kagome had to stifle her laughter at her friend's antics.

"So, basically, it's for the same reason as always?" Kagome questioned. Sango shrugged.

"Basically," she agreed. "So I can't go today, but maybe some other time," she added upon seeing Kagome's saddened face. She immediately brightened when Sango agreed to go another day.

"Thank you SO much!" Kagome said pulling her friend into an embrace. The bell rang, dismissing the students for the day. Kagome immediately let go and stood up, gathering her things and racing out the door screaming, "Bye Sango, call ya later!" Sango shook her head in amusement before grabbing her bag and heading towards detention.

Kagome walked down the sidewalk and pulled her CD player out of her bag, making sure In Keeping Secrets of the Silent Earth: 3, her newest Coheed & Cambria CD, was in it. Smiling, she slipped the headphones over her ears and pressed the 'next track' button a few times until she heard the beginning to Blood Red Summer. Swinging her bag, she turned up the volume and sang along with one of her favorite songs.

_Faint white figures paint my sleep  
__Please don't tell my secrets, keep them hidden  
__You got it, you got it, you got it  
__If the words that matter reach your face from floor  
__Will you be wondering if or?  
__Do I need what is given or honest?  
__Will this cost me scarring if the words stay true?  
__Even number you nephew  
__Don't want it, don't want it, don't want it anymore_

_And when the answer that you want  
__Is in the question that you state  
__Come what may, come what may  
__And when the answer that you want  
__Is in the question that you state  
__Come what may, come what may_

By this time, Kagome's singing had gotten a little louder and she made sure to sing the next verse even louder since it was her favorite part.

_In a pain that buckles out your knees  
__Could you stop this if I plead?  
__You got it, you got it, you got it  
__So destined I am to walk among the dark  
__A child in keeping secrets from  
__Will they know what I've done in the after?  
__In the sought for matter when the words blame you  
__In a blood red summer I'll give you  
__Don't want it, don't want it, don't want it_

Kagome now had her eyes closed and was slightly bobbing her head to the music.

_And when the answer that you want  
__Is in the question that you state  
__Come what may, come what may  
__And when the answer that you want  
__Is in the question that you state  
__Come what may, come what may_

_What did I do to deserve  
__What did I do to deserve this, this?  
__What did I do to deserve  
__What did I do to deserve this, this?_

Kagome ignored the stares from drivers and fellow pedestrians as she bobbed her head even more, losing herself in the music.

_Wuh-oh! Wuh-oh-oh woh-oh-oh!  
__Wuh-oh! Oh-oh-oh woh-oh-oh!  
__Wuh-oh! Wuh-oh-oh woh-oh-oh!  
__Wuh-oh! Oh-oh-oh woh-oh-oh!  
__Wuh-oh! Wuh-oh-oh woh-oh-oh!  
__Wuh-oh! Oh-oh-oh woh-oh-oh!  
__Wuh-oh! Wuh-oh-oh woh-oh-oh!  
__Wuh-oh! Oh-oh-oh woh-oh-oh!_

_Hey! Hey! Hey, hey, hey!_

Kagome smiled as she sang the next and last part, completely forgetting all her problems for a brief, satisfying moment.

_What did I do to deserve  
__What did I do to deserve this, this?  
__What did I do to deserve  
__What did I do to deserve this, this?  
__(Hey! Hey! Hey, hey, hey!)  
__What did I do to deserve  
__What did I do to deserve this, this?  
__(Hey! Hey! Hey, hey, hey!)  
__What did I do to deserve  
__What did I do?_

Before Kagome knew it, she had reached the nearby hospital. Sighing, she reluctantly turned off her CD player and put it back in her bag. Drawing in a deep, comforting breath, she entered the large, glass double-doors. Dr. Kaede was already waiting for her at the counter.

"Ah, Kagome child, come, we have much work to do!" Dr. Kaede called out when she saw Kagome enter. Kagome jogged over to her and waited for instructions.

"Since you did such a good job dressing Inuyasha's wounds yesterday, I would like you to do that again today," she said, unaware of Kagome's deepening blush. "After you finish, there's another patient I want you to take care of. He refuses to be treated by me or any men, so you're going to have to do it," Dr. Kaede instructed, leaving Kagome in front of Inuyasha's door.

Kagome stared at the door before slowly cracking it open; as if afraid she would wake him. She peered inside and saw the coast was clear. She opened the door fully and walked over to the cabinet where she remembered the Neosporin and bandages were. She pulled them out and set them on the nightstand by the hospital bed. She then pulled up a chair repeated what she did yesterday, without touching his ears. Having a few minutes to kill before Dr. Kaede came, she decided to study his facial features more closely. She really wanted to know what color eyes he had, so the first thing she did was cautiously pulled up an eyelid. His eyes were rolled back, like they are when you're sleeping but the bottom part of his eyes was noticeable. It looked like they were a goldish color. She let go of the eyelid, letting it close by itself and pondered. She had never seen a hanyou before. She had seen full youkai, but never a hanyou. She wondered if he had fangs and claws like a youkai. She decided to check.

She opened his mouth slightly and saw that he did indeed have fangs. Turning her attention to one of his hands, she examined his fingers. Sharpened claws were in place of regular human nails. She lightly smiled and stepped away from his sleeping form. She then exited the room in search of Dr. Kaede. Right on cue, Dr. Kaede rounded the corner and saw Kagome step out of the room.

"Kagome, child, I see you have finished. Let's go to the next patient I told you about," she suggested, leading Kagome down the hall and up a flight of stairs. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, the door in front of them swung open and a disgruntled nurse stormed out. Kagome got a glance at her name badge that read 'Kikyou' before she slipped past them and down the stairs.

"Here it is," said Dr. Kaede, indicating the door Kikyou just came out of. Kagome entered shyly with Dr. Kaede right behind her. "His wounds are minor, but they too need to be redressed daily. If he does anything offending, you have my permission to increase his wounds," Dr. Kaede said with a wink as she left Kagome alone in the room.

"Ah, you must be my new nurse!" the young man in the hospital bed stated smiling. "My name is Miroku, and what might yours be?" he questioned, still smiling.

"I'm Kagome," she introduced, taking in the man's appearance. His head was wrapped in bandages and his pitch black hair was pulled back in a low ponytail and his violet eyes sparked with the happiness one gets when opening presents on Christmas day. He was sitting up and seemed to be fine.

"Where are you wounded, Miroku?" Kagome questioned politely, looking through the bottom cabinets to find the Neosporin and some bandages.

"I have a gash in my side and head, and a broken heart," he said, winking at her returning figure. Kagome blushed and set the supplies on the table.

"Well I can wrap up your side and head, but there's nothing I can do about that heart," she said a bit playfully. Miroku took this as a good sign and while she was unwrapping his head, he put his hand in the wrong place. Kagome's eyes widened and a vein popped out of her head.

"HENTAI!" she screamed backing away. "Your head must be more damaged than I first thought!" she growled pointing a shaking finger at him.

Miroku sighed. "Sadly I have been like this all my life," he said in a dramatic tone. "The only way to cure me...is for you to bear me a child," he finished, managing to grasp her hands in his. The vein in Kagome's head seemed to get bigger as she pulled her hands out of his grasp and smacked him as hard as she could on his head, effectively knocking him out. Satisfied with her strength, she continued to unwrap his head. Using the Neosporin, she dabbed at the small gash on his forehead before rewrapping it. She then repeated the procedure with his side. Sighing, she threw away the old bandages and decided to just leave the Neosporin on the table; he would probably need it later if he did that to all the female nurses. She left the room and quickly found Dr. Kaede to finish working on the patients.

Kyuuka's AN: Well that's it. For now, anyway. It took longer than I thought to write this chapter. ::kyuuka shrugs:: oh well. Please, review...and check out my other stories too. For some reason, the reviews have been slowly deteriorating...is it because my writing skills as an author are getting worse? O.o...I sure hope not!

Xessive's AN: Well that was it! I think it was pretty good and those of you who think so too should say so in a review! I'll See Ya next time!

Cheesecake Out

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	2. Waking and Escaping

Kyuuka's AN: Well...yeah. Here's the next chapter. Don't exactly know what it's going to be about yet, but oh well. I was happy that we got 4 reviews! Yes, any kind of reviews make me feel special!

Disclaimer: As much as I want to own Inuyasha...I don't. Oh yeah, neither does Cheesecake.

Last Chapter:

"HENTAI!" she screamed backing away. "Your head must be more damaged than I first thought!" she growled pointing a shaking finger at him.

Miroku sighed. "Sadly I have been like this all my life," he said in a dramatic tone. "The only way to cure me...is for you to bear me a child," he finished, managing to grasp her hands in his. The vein in Kagome's head seemed to get bigger as she pulled her hands out of his grasp and smacked him as hard as she could on his head, effectively knocking him out. Satisfied with her strength, she continued to unwrap his head. Using the Neosporin, she dabbed at the small gash on his forehead before rewrapping it. She then repeated the procedure with his side. Sighing, she threw away the old bandages and decided to just leave the Neosporin on the table; he would probably need it later if he did that to all the female nurses. She left the room and quickly found Dr. Kaede to finish working on the patients.

**_The Hospital_**

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**Chapter 2: Waking and Escaping**

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP! Kagome groaned and rolled over, shoving the pillow over her head to block out the annoying beeping of her alarm clock. To add to the annoying sound, a knock sounded on the door.

"Kagome, dear, you're going to be late for school if you don't get up," came the voice of Kagome's mom. Kagome groaned again and pressed the pillow harder over her ears. About a minute later, another knock sounded at the door.

"Kagome, Mom said if you don't wake up now then you're not getting breakfast," Souta's voice filtered through the door. Kagome groaned a 3rd time before finally removing the pillow and slamming her fist down on her alarm clock, effectively turning it off. She yawned and stretched and sat up in bed before turning her attention back to her dented alarm clock. She had plenty of time to get ready for school, especially since she took nightly showers instead of morning showers. She stood up and made her way to her closet. Opening the door she quickly pulled open a drawer before examining its contents. Shaking her head she closed the drawer and opened the one above it, where all her school uniforms were. Grabbing a uniform, she quickly changed her clothes and ran a brush through her hair before tiredly walking downstairs.

"It's nice of you to join us, Kagome," her mom said, placing a plate of bacon on the table.

"Sorry, I guess I'm just a little tired," she responded before taking her place at the table.

"It's that hospital work she's doing," interjected her grandfather. "My granddaughter was not meant to work in a hospital." Kagome smiled before serving herself some eggs, bacon, toast and a glass of orange juice. She looked at her watch before her eyes widened. Quickly stuffing her face with a little bit of everything and grabbing a piece of toast for the road, she grabbed her bad and ran out the door.

"Wow, she's in a hurry," commented Souta as he stuck a forkful of eggs in his mouth.

Kagome ran down the sidewalk, furiously chewing her food. She rounded a corner and swallowed and continued running while stuffing the toast in her mouth. Rounding another corner she finished chewing that and swallowed it too. She ran up to a house and rang the doorbell. There were a few shouts and then some thumps and a crash before an out of breath Sango answered the door. She was haphazardly dressed with her shirt on backwards and her skirt on inside out. Her hair was tussled and her eyes sported dark rings under them. She was yawning and holding her brother's backpack over her shoulder. Kagome smiled before bursting out in uncontrolled laughter. Sango scowled.

"What is so funny, Kagome?" she questioned, "I'll have you know I just woke up 2 seconds ago and am in a grouchy mood." Kagome held her laughter for a while in order to explain.

"Well I could tell," she answered, still grinning, "You look like you still are asleep." Sango gave her a quizzical look before walking back into the house in order to find a mirror. Kagome followed, knowing it would be alright. Sango reached the bathroom and looked in the mirror before her eyes widened. Her face flushed in embarrassment and she quickly ran upstairs. Kagome made herself comfortable on the couch and in a few minutes, Sango came down, looking much better than before. Her shirt and skirt were on right and her hair was brushed. She also switched to her own backpack but this time, her face looked evilly happy. Kagome gulped and dashed to the door. Sango quickly followed, but Kagome had already run out of the house. Sango stopped at the doorway and emitted an evil laugh before chasing after Kagome again. Kagome quickly reached the school and ran inside. She looked around and burst into her homeroom, earning a few looks from some early students. Kagome smiled nervously before making her way to her seat in the back of room. She ducked when she heard the door burst open. She cautiously peeked her head above the desk to see an angry Sango staring right at her.

"Eek!" Kagome squeaked before ducking once again. But it was too late, Sango had already seen her and was making her way over.

"BOO!" came a voice from behind Kagome. She jumped and turned around only to find a laughing Sango. "You're so gullible," she managed to say in between laughs while rolling on the floor. Kagome sweat dropped.

"It wasn't that funny," Kagome said standing up and dusting herself off. Sango got up, still smiling and sat down at her desk.

"Oh lighten up, it was too funny," she retorted, rolling her eyes. Kagome decided to change the subject.

"So are you gonna come to the hospital with me today?" she asked hopefully. Sango sighed before resigning herself.

"Fine, but if I get bored I'm leaving," she said. Kagome laughed.

"Oh trust me, you won't be bored!" Kagome retorted while letting out a silent laugh.

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Kagome entered the hospital a little more confident than she had the last couple of days. Sango, on the other hand, was very cautious. She hid behind the entrance door as if someone was going to attack her. Kagome laughed as she turned around and saw a nervous Sango.

"Come on, Sango, like you said, there's nothing to worry about," urged Kagome, grabbing her friend's arm and half dragging her to the front counter. "Dr. Kaede, this is Sango," Kagome said, jerking a thumb in Sango's direction, oblivious to the glare sent her way. Dr. Kaede nodded in understanding.

"She can help you today, then. Miroku's been giving us more trouble today than ever," she explained leading them to Inuyasha's room first. "This is more of a one man job," Dr. Kaede said, "Sango, can you help with Miroku instead?" she asked.

Sango gulped but she didn't want to seem scared. "Sure thing, just lead me to him!" she said with false confidence. Dr. Kaede smiled before leading Sango down the hall. Sango sent a 'Help me!' look to Kagome before Kagome smiled and waved and entered the room.

Kagome sighed as she looked at the seemingly asleep hanyou. He just seemed so innocent! Who would want to hurt him that much? Kagome shook her head to rid it of its thoughts and took out the Neosporin and bandages. She repeated the monotonous procedure she'd gotten used to. While dabbing the Neosporin onto Inuyasha's wounds, though, she swore she saw him flinch! She shook her head and mentally berated herself. She must be more tired than she thought! She finished cleaning the wound and began wrapping him. Suddenly she heard a groan of pain. She jumped and looked wildly around the room. There was no one else in the room, so where had that noise come from. Her eyes widened in realization and she turned around to see the patient sitting up in bed and rubbing his eyes. Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Inuyasha dropped his hands and turned his head to her.

"Oi, wench, where am I?" he questioned her. Kagome only registered the 'wench' part and it immediately set her off.

"I am not a wench! I'll have you know that I've been tending to your wounds for these past couple of days and was in the process of bandaging you when you scared me half to death!" she managed to shout in one breath.

"Feh! I don't need anyone to help me!" he argued as he unwrapped the bandages and tried to stand. He doubled over in pain when he put all his weight on his feet. Concern was immediately etched in Kagome's features and she helped him back onto the bed.

"You're not fully healed yet! You need to keep these bandages on!" she berated him while attempting to rewrap his wounds. Inuyasha, however, kept trying to get her away from him.

"Will you stop it, wench!? I told you, I don't need help! Not yours, not anyone's!" he shouted, standing up successfully.

"I told you, my name is not wench! It's Kagome!" she retorted, throwing down the bandages in anger.

"Fine, Kagome," he said, annunciating her name, "Just tell me where the nearest exit is, and that's all the help I'll ever need from you," he finished, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm not going to tell you where the exit is because you're not leaving until I get my community service hours!" she yelled in his face. Inuyasha wasn't used to girls who told him what to do so this knocked him off guard. He scowled and sat back down on the bed, allowing Kagome to finish her job. When Kagome was done, she plastered a smile on her face.

"It was nice to finally meet your personality, Inuyasha, but I must get going. I'll tell Dr. Kaede you're awake and," she added, noticing he was growling, "if you keep growling like that, I can just knock you unconscious again and no one would ever know you woke up!" she declared.

"Feh, someone like you couldn't knock me off balance, let alone unconscious," he argued. He immediately regretted it as soon as he saw Kagome's eyes flicker with malice.

"So you think I'm weak, is that it!?" she roared. "Well let's just see how weak I really am!" she yelled, swinging her fist. Inuyasha was too stunned to move and her fist knocked him onto his back and out of consciousness. Kagome smiled and cleaned up a bit before leaving the room, a little happier than when she had first walked in.

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Dr. Kaede led Sango upstairs to Miroku's room, but stopped her before she went in. "Now, Miroku is behaving a little bolder today, so you might want to take this," she explained, handing Sango some pepper spray. Sango stared at the tiny bottle in her hand quizzically before Dr. Kaede urged her into the room and left. Sango shook off her confusion and looked at the patient.

"Why, hello there! It's always nice to see a new beautiful face!" he said, flashing a grin. This only angered Sango and she narrowed his eyes at him.

"Don't talk, just point me to the Neosporin and bandages," ordered Sango, remembering how Kagome had once said it took a while to find the stuff. Miroku sighed and pointed to one of the lower cabinets next to his bed. Sango bent down to open it but froze when she felt an unfamiliar presence on her lower backside. She whipped around and backhanded Miroku before she remembered about the pepper spray. 'Oh well, too late now,' she thought, glaring at the unconscious hentai. She found cleaning and bandaging wounds wasn't too hard and quickly finished. She was about to leave when she had a sudden idea. She opened one of Miroku's eyes and sprayed the pepper spray, earning a sudden shriek of pain as she left. 'Just for kicks,' she thought evilly as she left the room.

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Kagome was rounding a corner when she bumped into someone. She looked up, about to yell at the person for not watching where they were going, but stopped and smiled.

"Oh hey Sango! How'd it go?" she asked in a cheery tone.

"It went rather well!" responded Sango in an equally cheery tone. They both stopped and looked at each other before breaking out in smiles.

"You knocked out Miroku, didn't you?" asked Kagome with an all-knowing smile plastered on her lips. Sango nodded eagerly.

"But if you're as happy as me...you must have knocked someone out too, but I thought Inuyasha was in a coma?" questioned Sango.

"Yes, Inuyasha was in a coma," said Kagome, winking at her friend.

"Why'd you knock him out?" Sango asked.

"He was being a total jerk, but I think I might have knocked some sense into him," responded Kagome happily as the two made their way to the exit. Today had been better than they both thought it might be.

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Inuyasha groggily opened his eyes and rubbed his head. That Kagome girl had quite a punch! He slowly sat up and looked around. There was no clock, but the window outside told him it was nighttime. He got up and swiftly searched for his clothes. Not finding them, he grabbed the hospital blanket and wrapped it around him like a cape before jumping out the window and into the night. "Sesshomaru will pay," he said to himself as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop.

[][][][][][][][][][]

Sango and Kagome were laughing and slurping sodas as they walked down the streetlamp lit sidewalk. The movie they had just seen was hilarious and they were heading home. They would've driven a car but neither of them had their licenses and they didn't really like public transportation, so they decided walking was their best bet since they lived pretty close by anyway.

"Did you see how she just popped up in the mirror?" kidded Kagome.

"Yes, I saw, you know that's the only part where I screamed though," Sango retorted.

"Hahahaha, you should've seen your face!" Kagome teased.

"At least I didn't squirm when she broke her nail off her finger," slipped in Sango, knowing her friend got pretty queasy when stuff like that happened.

"Hey, if you broke your whole nail off your finger, I'd get queasy over that too," argued Kagome.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I don't know," shrugged Kagome. She turned her attention upwards and studied the top of a nearby building. "Did you see that, Sango?"

"See what?" answered Sango, looking in the same direction as Kagome.

"Come on, let's follow it," suggested Kagome as she grabbed Sango's arm and ran down an alley.

"Kagome, I don't think this is such a good idea," countered Sango, "What if some crazy psycho with a chainsaw sees us or something?" she asked worriedly. Kagome rolled her eyes.

"You watch too many scary movies," she complained. "Besides, we're not hurting anyone, right?"

"Uh...I guess."

"Then we'll be fine, come on," Kagome urged her friend to run faster as she let go of her arm. Sango sighed and continued following her friend, turning down dark streets and alleys.

[][][][][][][][][][]

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes as he continued on his journey. Sniffing the air, he found he was being followed. One of the scents smelled vaguely familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. He decided the best thing to do was to lie low until they gave up. Crouching low on a building, he quietly crept to the edge and looked down at his followers. They suddenly stopped and looked around. One turned and spoke to the other and the 2nd one sighed in response before turning and walking out of the alleyway followed by the other.

Certain they wouldn't come back, Inuyasha jumped the last couple of buildings and slipped into his apartment window. Looking out one last time, he closed it and shut the blinds. Sighing, he walked over to his kitchen and turned on the light. He opened a cupboard and pulled out a pack of instant ramen. Smiling, he boiled the water and turned on his stereo. Flipping through the stations, a song caught his attention.

_Sometimes, I wish I was brave  
__Wish I was stronger  
__Wish I could feel no pain  
__I wish I was young  
__Wish I was shy  
__Wish I was honest  
__Wish I was you not I_

"Not completely true, but not bad either," Inuyasha commented on the song as he made his way back to the kitchen.

_'Cause I feel so mad  
__I feel so angry  
__Feel so calloused  
__So lost, confused again  
__I feel so cheap  
__So used, unfaithful  
__Let's start over  
__Let's start over_

Inuyasha opened the fridge and pulled out a 2-liter of Mountain Dew. "I hope this isn't flat yet," he muttered as he took off the cap.

_Sometimes, I wish I was smart  
__I wish I made cures for  
__How people are  
__I wish I had power  
__Wish I could leave  
__I wish I could change the world  
__For you and me_

"Yeah if I could cure how Sesshomaru keeps trying to kill me, I'd do it," Inuyasha grumbled as he opened a cabinet and pulled out a glass.

_'Cause I feel so mad  
__I feel so angry  
__Feel so calloused  
__So lost, confused again  
__I feel so cheap  
__So used, unfaithful  
__Let's start over  
__Let's start over_

Taking a sip of his Mountain Dew, he returned the bottle to its rightful place and poured the boiling water into the ramen cup.

_'Cause I feel so mad  
__I feel so angry  
__Feel so calloused  
__So lost, confused again  
__I feel so cheap  
__So used, unfaithful  
__Let's start over  
__Let's start over_

"This reminds me of Blink 182," he commented to himself. "I wonder if it is Blink 182," he pondered aloud as he started eating his dinner.

_'Cause I feel so mad  
__I feel so angry  
__Feel so calloused  
__So lost, confused again  
__I feel so cheap  
__So used, unfaithful  
__Let's start over  
__Let's start over  
__Let's start oveeeeeeeeeeer_

"And that was Box Car Racer with I Feel So and that concludes our music hour. After the break, we have Gary with Love Talk..." the announcer came on over the stereo. Inuyasha grabbed the remote and turned it off in order to finish his dinner in peace.

[][][][][][][][][][]

"Kagome, it's no big deal," Sango tried to convince her friend.

"I know, I just really wanted to know what that was," complained Kagome, playing with the phone cord.

"Well maybe it'll be on the news. It's probably a good thing we didn't catch up to it. It could've been a psychotic youkai with a massive ax," reasoned Sango.

Kagome chuckled at her best friend's imagination. She really did watch too many horror movies. Kagome glanced at the clock and saw how late it was. "Well it's kinda late, Sango. I better get to bed or I'll get another detention for being late tomorrow," she explained.

"Wow, it is late," Sango replied looking at her wall clock. "I'll see ya tomorrow, Kagome."

"See ya!" Kagome replied before hanging up the phone and crawling into bed. She thought about what that thing on the roof could have been before drifting into a blissful slumber.

Kyuuka's AN: Whew, finished! Boy does this chapter suck. Sorry if it's not what you expected my dear readers! I promise the chappies should only get better...I hope. Hehe, oh well! Reviewer Response time!

**Super Ceech-** Yay! You reviewed! I'm glad ya liked the first chappie! And don't judge future chappies by this one, coz personally I think it sucks!

**fantasy-seal- **Well here's the next chappie! Thank ya for reviewing!

**crazy me**- Well I updated! Hope ya like this one, although I don't like it...but anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**Inuyasha's Priestess-** Well Inuyasha woke up today and I updated! Always glad to make a reviewer happy! Review again, please?

Ok, that's all...so you can review now! Oh wait...if anyone can tell me what movie I was talking about, then you win a prize! Good luck!


	3. Rented Out

Kazix's AN: Yeah, I know I haven't updated in forever, but I've had a bit of writer's block and I don't know if any of you know about Hurricane Charley that ripped straight through Florida and right into Orlando, but that's where I live, so we prepared for the storm and all that, but we still have more to do coz there's trees down everywhere, stoplights, my windows blew out, all this stuff, so I'm gonna try to convince my coauthor to finish writing this, and if I can, it'd be a lifesaver, but if I can't, this probably won't be updated for another week. So wish me luck with that. So yeah, I'm going to be really busy this week coz of the storm and coz future ones coming up that might hit us and school...::sigh:: so stressful...

And if you hadn't noticed, I am now known as Kazix!! instead of kyuuka-kitsune! WOO-HOO!!!

Disclaimer: Oh yeah...I gotta put in one of these thingies don't I? Hmmm...I really don't feel like putting something funny or stupid or something. Well, I don't own Inu and friends, k?

Last Chapter:

"Wow, it is late," Sango replied looking at her wall clock. "I'll see ya tomorrow, Kagome."

"See ya!" Kagome replied before hanging up the phone and crawling into bed. She thought about what that thing on the roof could have been before drifting into a blissful slumber.

**_The Hospital_**

**__**

**Chapter 3: Rented Out**

Panting and gasping for air, Kagome slammed open the double doors to the hospital. Glancing at her watch, she noted she was on time with 7 seconds to spare. Sighing, she mentally cursed all men. They could just be so thickheaded sometimes...especially Hojo. That boy wouldn't comprehend a 'no' if it smacked him in the face! Pushing herself off the doorframe she sauntered up to Dr. Kaede.

"Hey Dr. Kaede," she greeted, plastering on a smile, unaware of Dr. Kaede's grim expression.

"Kagome, I'm afraid Inuyasha has...left the premises," she began, "He's left the hospital and we believe he's gone back to his apartment."

"That idiot! He's going to reopen his wound if he moves around too much!" Kagome sighed in exasperation.

"I know, that's why I want you to go and retrieve him," Dr. Kaede said, pulling out a folded piece of paper from her pocket. "This is his address, if he's not there, come back," she instructed, unfolding the piece of paper and handing it to Kagome. Kagome grabbed it and studied the address for a minute before looking back up.

"Ok, you can count on me! I'll get him back, even if I have to drag him!" she said with resolve as she turned to head out the front doors.

"Good luck," she heard Dr. Kaede call as she left the building. She looked at the directions again and saw that it was pretty close by. She planned out the route she would take before taking off down the street in a slow jog. After passing a few blocks, she turned on a corner and continued down the street. Another ten minutes and Kagome was standing outside of Inuyasha's apartment building. Looking down at the number, she realized his room was on the top floor. Grumbling, she entered the building and began trudging up the stairs since there were no elevators. After what seemed an eternity, Kagome finally reached his door and knocked. She heard scuffling inside and a crash or two before the door finally opened.

"What do you want, wench?" the hanyou asked irritably when he saw that his "nurse" was at the door.

"I came to take you back to the hospital," she said as if he should know that.

"Feh, I'm not going back!" he replied, crossing his arms.

"Oh yes you are!" Kagome retorted, grabbing one of his dog ears and dragging him down the stairs.

"Let go of me!" he said, trying desperately to wrench her hand off his ear without ripping it out of his head.

"No, I'll let go when we get back to the hospital," she replied, happy that she didn't have to _climb_ anymore stairs. They reached the bottom and Kagome led him down a street, ignoring his consistent grumbling. But when the hanyou stopped dead in his tracks and became silent, she turned around to see what the problem was. Inuyasha put a finger up to his mouth to signal her to be quiet as he sniffed and twitched his ears. He quickly grabbed Kagome and jumped back a couple feet as a demon landed hard right where they were standing.

"What do you want?" the hanyou questioned the demon.

"I see they released you from the hospital, little brother," answered the full dog youkai. Inuyasha growled in response.

"They didn't, I got out myself," he replied.

"So that must mean you're not healed yet," surmised the older youkai.

"Even if I am injured, I could still kick your ass, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha retorted.

"We shall see about that," said Sesshomaru as he got in a fighting stance. Inuyasha followed suit and looked behind him.

"Stay back, wench, or you'll get hurt." Kagome complied grudgingly.

The demons began growling and Inuyasha attacked first, swiping his claws as he jumped high in the air above Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru easily dodged the first attack and the next attacks Inuyasha sent his way.

"Pathetic," he said as he effortlessly swiped at Inuyasha, leaving four long gashes on his chest. Inuyasha winced in pain, but kept attacking anyway while Sesshomaru dodged. Soon, though, Sesshomaru got bored and quickly punched Inuyasha in the stomach, reopening his wound. Inuyasha stumbled and landed on his knee, gasping for breath. Smirking, Sesshomaru then made a light whip appear and whipped Inuyasha's leg with such force that it caused a loud crack and broke the bone. Inuyasha let out a cry of pain, but wasn't about to give up. He was about to attack again when Kagome jumped between him and Sesshomaru.

"Move out of the way, human," Sesshomaru ordered with malice in his voice.

"No, you've proven you can beat him, just let me take him to the hospital again," she replied calmly.

"He has not beaten me!!" Inuyasha argued in the background. His comment went ignored as Sesshomaru's light whip disappeared.

"Fine, for now, but I will kill you one day, Inuyasha," he said before walking away. Kagome then turned back to Inuyasha.

"Well I think your leg is broken, so I'm going to have to help you walk there," she said as she walked toward him.

"Feh, I don't need your help," he said as he tried to stand. He immediately came crashing back to the ground though, grumbling a string of curses which made Kagome roll her eyes.

"Come on," she said, putting his arm around her shoulders and leaning his weight against her. "If you cooperate, we'll get there faster." Inuyasha grumbled, but complied as they made their way down the last few blocks back to the hospital. Kagome used her free hand to open the door and as she entered, Dr. Kaede came over.

"Well, it seems you found him, but he looks to be in a worse state than when he left," she noticed.

"We had a little run in with his brother," Kagome explained as Dr. Kaede also helped carry Inuyasha's weight to his room.

"And I would've beaten him if you hadn't interfered," Inuyasha accused as he was set on his bed.

"It seems your leg is broken, Inuyasha," Dr. Kaede said, "We'll have to get an x-ray."

Inuyasha 'Feh'd' as she turned back to Kagome. "There's not much you can do today," she said, "How many more hours of community service do you need?"

"Well I'm not sure," Kagome admitted, trying to remember exactly how many hours they needed to graduate. "I'm sure if I work here for another month I'll have more than enough hours, though."

"I agree, but for now, go on home, I'll take care of this nuisance," she said, as Kagome left the room.

[][][][][][][][][][]

"At least you won't be able to escape now, Inuyasha," commented Dr. Kaede as she finished putting the cast on his leg.

"Feh!" Inuyasha replied while crossing his arms.

"Now remember not to move around too much, or you'll reopen that wound," she warned as she left the room. Inuyasha took a minute to observe his surroundings. He was in a small room in a bed with pretty much nothing to do.

"ARGH! Now I'm bored!" he complained as he tried to think of something to do. He didn't think very long because at that moment, he heard a creaking sound. He looked in that direction to see his door slowly, ever so slowly, opening. After about a minute, Inuyasha couldn't take it anymore.

"If you're going to come in, then come in! That creaking is annoying!" At this, the door fully opened and a boy with bandages covering his black hair came in.

"Who are you?" Inuyasha demanded to know.

"My name is Miroku! I was wondering if you had seen the lovely nurse Sango. I don't believe I saw her with Kagome today," Miroku introduced, looking around the room as if he thought Inuyasha was hiding her in a cabinet. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"No, I haven't seen this Sango you're looking for. But I've seen Kagome, that stupid wench," he muttered more to himself than to Miroku.

"Hmmm...Well if you happen to see Sango, could you tell her I need to see her? Tell her my hands are broken," he said.

"What are you doing her anyway," Inuyasha asked before he could leave, "You don't look injured."

"Ah, but I am! My poor heart is broken and needs-"

"Save it for the girls," Inuyasha said with a deadpan face.

"I shall," Miroku agreed. At that point, the door opened again, and a nurse stepped in.

"You're supposed to be in your room, Miroku," she scolded as she pushed him out the door. She then caught sight of Inuyasha and grinned.

"Hi, I'm Kikyou, I work as a nurse here," she said.

"I couldn't tell," Inuyasha said, allowing the sarcasm to seep into his voice.

"Well," she paused before looking at the clipboard at the foot of his bed, "Inuyasha, if you need anything, here's my home number," she said, handing him a small piece of paper.

"Not interested," Inuyasha said, making no move to take the offered paper.

"Are you sure?" she questioned.

"Yes," Inuyasha said firmly, waiting for her to leave. He'd rather be bored than talk to a sleazy nurse.

"Do you go to school her?" she asked, attempting to make conversation.

"No, I graduated last year," he answered.

"Well I'm a senior this year, and you seem like an interesting person," she said.

Inuyasha groaned.

"So maybe we could go out sometime?" she finished as if she hadn't heard him groan.

"I don't date," he said. He then closed his eyes, hoping she would get the point and leave him so he could rest. Kikyou was about to continue, but luckily Miroku decided to pop back in.

"Kikyou, I believe it's time for my sponge bath," he said, wiggling his eyes suggestively. She narrowed her eyes and swung at the pervert, leaving him crumpled in a heap on Inuyasha's floor. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and went to sleep.

[][][][][][][][][][]

Walking past Inuyasha's apartment building to get home, Naraku noticed a sign on the building.

**ROOM FOR RENT**

DELUXE ONE-BEDROOM, ONE BATHROOM APARTMENT FOR RENT

CONTACT EARL FOR MORE INFO: 123-4567

Naraku grinned evilly at the sign and emitted an evil chuckle, scaring innocent bystanders. He then pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number.

[][][][][][][][][][]

"What do you mean my apartment's been rented out!?" Inuyasha screamed at the man who had brought the message. He was sitting uncomfortably in his bed at the hospital and in comes this man, claiming all his stuff had been sold at an auction and his apartment had been rented out.

"I'm afraid so. Earl thought you had died since you hadn't come back in a few weeks. So he didn't think you'd mind," the man tried to explain.

"I DON'T GIVE A SHIT WHAT HE THOUGHT, WHERE THE HELL AM I GONNA LIVE!?" Inuyasha bellowed. The door suddenly opened and in stepped Kagome.

"Inuyasha, quit yelling, I could hear you all the way out in the waiting room," Kagome complained as she opened a cabinet and pulled out the bandages. The man quickly escaped the wrath of Inuyasha, leaving the two alone.

"What were you yelling about, anyway?" she asked as she began to unwrap his old bandage.

"Some fucker rented out my apartment," he complained as Kagome shot him a dirty look.

"Watch your language, you never know who's eavesdropping," she said. The door opened yet again, and Dr. Kaede came in.

"I heard about your apartment, Inuyasha," she said as she took notes on a clipboard.

"Yeah, well, good for you," Inuyasha growled.

"What will you do about living arrangements?" she questioned as Kagome diligently worked on rebandaging him.

"Well I'm gonna have to stay at this hospital, aren't I?" he asked confused. Dr. Kaede suddenly looked nervous.

"Well, actually, we need you to leave at the end of the week," she admitted.

"But that's only 3 days away!" Inuyasha complained.

"I know, but the elementary students are taking a field trip to the marshmallow factory," she explained.

"So...why do I have to leave?" he asked, thoroughly confused.

Dr. Kaede sighed before explaining, "We're gonna need as much room in this hospital as we can get." At the blank looks from Inuyasha and Kagome who had been listening in, she continued, "It's a long story, trust me, it is. Those kids get in trouble in the strangest places."

The two continued giving their looks, but when Dr. Kaede gave no motion to further her explanation, Kagome continued her work.

"So where am I gonna go?" Inuyasha finally asked.

"Do you have any family members?" Dr. Kaede questioned.

"Yeah, but he's the reason I'm here in the first place."

"Any friends?"

"No," Inuyasha said. Dr. Kaede glanced at Kagome before a wicked smile came across her features.

"Inuyasha, since Kagome is probably the closest you'll get to a friend, why don't you stay with her?" she suggested.

"NO!" the two teens shouted in unison.

"I'm not staying with that wench!" Inuyasha yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Kagome, "She'll...she'll...FEH!"

"I'm not letting his stay with me! All he does is insult me!" Kagome retorted.

"Well then, it'll help you two get along," she admonished. At their glares, she decided for another approach, "Fine, Inuyasha, then you can stay with Kikyou, I'm sure she'd love your company," she said, recalling Kikyou's story about how she met Inuyasha.

"I'll stay with Kagome!" Inuyasha said quickly, his face paling. Kagome sighed. She knew she'd never let anyone stay on the streets or with someone they didn't want to, but where else was Inuyasha to go?

"Alright, he can stay," Kagome agreed, "But him staying at my house counts for community service hours!"

"How would letting me stay with you help the community?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well, it's like taking in a stray dog," she said, "You don't want them biting people and giving them rabies."

"I don't have rabies!" Inuyasha retorted.

"Well, then at least people won't be afraid to come out of their homes if you're not on the streets," Kagome said.

Inuyasha scoffed, but remained silent.

"I see things will work out immensely between you two," Dr. Kaede said gleefully as she left the room.

"So when am I moving in?" Inuyasha asked quietly.

"At the end of the week. We'll need to time to get a room ready for you and stuff, so you'll have to wait 3 days," she said as she too left.

[][][][][][][][][][]

"So he's moving into your house!?" Sango exclaimed from the other side of the couch in between bites of potato chips.

"Yeah, unfortunately. Mom jumped at the idea of having a guest, though," Kagome mumbled as she took another bite of pizza and clicked the buttons on the remote.

"Man, that sucks!" Sango said as she reached her hand into the potato chip bag. At feeling nothing but crumbs, she sighed and crumpled up the bag, throwing it on the ground like all the others.

"This is going to be a nightmare!" Kagome said as she buried her face in a pillow. "I'm just glad he doesn't have to go to school since he graduated," Kagome mumbled into the pillow.

"Uh-huh," Sango agreed as she stole the remote that had fallen on the floor. She then turned to Spike TV and grinned evilly. "Kagome, I know how to make you feel better."

"And how's that?" Kagome's muffled voice asked.

"Crazy Asian people competing for nothing at violent and physical games," Sango answered, turning the volume up. Kagome shot her head up from the pillow and looked at the TV. Sure enough, her favorite game show MXC was on. The game show, called Most Extreme Elimination Challenge, showed Asian people competing for absolutely nothing. Score was kept, but no prize was ever given. It was really only for entertainment purposes, and boy did Kagome love entertainment. She blanked her mind in order to fully understand the mindless hypnotic trance the hosts Kenny Blankenship and Vic Romano put her in and soon began to relax.

Kazix's AN: Well, not as long as I wanted, but I think it's a miracle I even got that much done! So far school sucks (even if I've only gone for one day) and I'm really bored. But anyway, I'm just glad my muses, Hinote and Kasai, showed up to help me with that last bit. hehe, and if you're wondering if MXC is real, it is, it's a hilarious show and you should all watch it! Now onto Reviewer Responses!

**fantasy-seal-** Well, here's the update, sorry it took so long! hope you enjoy!

**Kitaira-** Yay! You reviewed! Tank ya! And...And...Hmmm...Well I hope you like this chapter!

**Angel-of-Darkness69-** I'm glad you liked it and thanks for reviewing!

**Loveangel69**- Again, sorry it took so long, but thank you for reviewing!

**Super Ceech**- Hey, I forgot you reviewed! Well, anyway, thanks for helping me with some of the insults!

**purity=starz-** Yeah I guess it WAS kinda unrealistic how Kag knocked Inu out...but oh well, it's my story, I can do what I want. And if you really want my coauthor to write a whole chapter by himself, you'll have to beg him, coz...he doesn't like writing. -.-;

**Inuyasha's Priestess**­- Yes, I know there's not a lot of romance going on, but they barely just met, they wouldn't fall for each other that fast. And I'm tryin to add some conflict between them so the story doesn't end too quick, but don't worry, this is a InuKag fic, so they'll be together and there will be tons of fluff I swear!!

Well, that's it. Thank you to all my reviewers! If you hadn't have reviewed, I'd probably never have updated this story, so thank you! I will try to update more frequently, I had every intention of updating each of my story's once a week, but it's getting hard with school and writer's block, so yeah. But I'll update whenever possible k? Thanks! PLEASE REVIEW!?

And cheesecake didn't wanna put an AN, so he just told me to say "hi" to his adoring fans...so..."hi"


	4. Truce

Kazix's AN: Well, originally Xessive was gonna write this chapter...but since he never got around to it, lol, I decided I'd write it. Oh, don't worry, he'll write one soon...not. Anyway, sorry I haven't updated in, oh, forever. Really, I am. If you're waiting for an excuse, there is none. Hehe...don't hurt me.

Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha, why would I be writing fanfiction?

Last Chapter: 

"And how's that?" Kagome's muffled voice asked.

"Crazy Asian people competing for nothing at violent and physical games," Sango answered, turning the volume up. Kagome shot her head up from the pillow and looked at the TV. Sure enough, her favorite game show MXC was on. The game show, called Most Extreme Elimination Challenge, showed Asian people competing for absolutely nothing. Score was kept, but no prize was ever given. It was really only for entertainment purposes, and boy did Kagome love entertainment. She blanked her mind in order to fully understand the mindless hypnotic trance the hosts Kenny Blankenship and Vic Romano put her in and soon began to relax.

**_The Hospital _**

**__**

**Chapter 4: Truce **

The sun shone brightly, making a wonderful setting for a beautiful weekend. Kagome walked down the sidewalk, her mood completely the opposite of the weather's, but exactly the same as Inuyasha's, who was trailing behind her on crutches. The three days had passed a little too quickly for the pair and now they had nothing to look forward to but each other's company. It might not have been so bad but for Inuyasha's incessant name-calling and Kagome's fiery temper.

"Are we almost there, wench?" Inuyasha demanded to know.

Kagome stopped dead in her tracks, finally unable to keep her temper. "That's the seventh time you've asked me in the past five minutes! Can't you just be patient? We'd get there a lot faster if you'd just hurry up!" Her outburst didn't surprise Inuyasha. He was only badgering her for entertainment now, knowing that it would annoy her. He seemed to delight in her displeasure. They continued walking, Inuyasha in a much better mood, and Kagome in a much worse one. Finally reaching the longest flight of stone stairs Inuyasha had ever seen, Kagome turned to him.

"We're here now, so stop complaining," she said.

"We gotta walk all those steps!?" he shouted, ignoring Kagome.

"I said no complaining!" she shouted back.

Inuyasha complied, but continued to glare at the girl who seemed intent on making his life a living hell. Kagome began to lightly walk up at the stairs without offering any help to him in his condition. He quickly decided that it would be easiest to climb the stairs without his crutches barring his way. He tucked both of them underneath one arm and began limping up the stairs, wincing at every step.

* * *

Four hundred and fifty-two steps later, Inuyasha and Kagome had finally reached the top landing. While Inuyasha seemed to be breathless, Kagome was just fine. She had climbed these stairs many times and was, by now, quite used to them. She opened the door to her house and walked inside, not even motioning for Inuyasha to follow her. He did so anyway, not caring if he was rude or not.

"Mom! I'm home!" Kagome yelled. The house remained still; no reply answered her call that echoed throughout the house. "Mom?" she called again, wandering through the house. She went to the kitchen first and found a note on the fridge.

Dear Kagome,

Your Grandpa, Souta, and I have gone to the Festival in Kyoto. I know how much your studies mean to you, so I thought it'd be best if we left you to study in peace. I'll call tomorrow to check up on you. I bought plenty of groceries, so feel free to make whatever you want. I don't know when we'll back, but we shouldn't be gone for more than a few days. Have fun, dear!

-Mom

'Oh great,' Kagome thought, 'I get to spend the next few days alone with dog-face. Lovely.' She sighed and threw the note in the garbage can. Inuyasha stared blankly at the note before noticing Kagome's even more irritated face.

"What was that about?" he asked. It wasn't like him to be curious, but if she was any more angry and yelled at him, he had a right to know why. Kagome slowly turned around and glared at him, wishing that somehow he would spontaneously combust. When that didn't seem to happen, she sighed again and turned to open the fridge.

"Mom's not going to be home for the next couple of days, so I'm going to be stuck here all alone with you," she said as she rummaged through the fridge for something to eat for dinner.

"Are you serious!?" shouted Inuyasha, appalled at the idea of sharing a house all alone with a psycho like Kagome.

"Oh, you think I'm happy about it?!" she shouted back, now turned to him.

"Feh!" Inuyasha muttered and turned around, crossing his arms in the process. Kagome grabbed a soda from the fridge and slammed it shut, leaving the room and grumbling about ungracious ingrates. Inuyasha stood in the kitchen for a moment before following her out of the kitchen and into the living room. She looked up from her spot on the couch.

"What do you want?" she asked coldly.

"Nothing from you, wench," he said and continued to cross the room. He looked out the window and saw the most beautiful tree he'd ever laid eyes on. "Hey," he said softly, in a trance-like state as he stared at the tree, "Is that your tree?"

Kagome, shocked at the sudden change in voice, stared blankly before shaking her head. "Y-yeah, that's the goshinboku. It's been there for centuries. Why?"

Inuyasha didn't say anything and instead walked out the door and to the tree, Kagome following at a distance, confused at his behavior. She watched as Inuyasha jumped diligently into the branches of the tree, despite his broken leg. As she stared, a sudden warm feeling came over her...as if not only the tree was protecting her, but the hanyou now sitting in the tree as well. She mentally slapped herself and walked back inside. As if that jerk would protect anybody! She sat on the couch and flipped through the TV channels.

* * *

Inuyasha felt a strange sense of peace come over him once he sat in the tree. It was comforting and soothing, like he belonged there. Wait, what was he thinking?! Him belonging at the Higurashi shrine!? That was a laugh! But in any case, he quickly grew attached to this tree and fell asleep peacefully.

* * *

Kagome yawned and checked the VCR clock. Wow, it was 10 o'clock already? She turned off the TV and got up to go to bed, until she realized that Inuyasha was still outside. Grumbling she went through the door and stepped into the chill night air. Pulling her arms close around her, she walked to the tree.

"Inuyasha?" she called up. When he didn't stir, she called his name louder. "Inuyasha?!" This time, Inuyasha grumbled and sleepily opened his eyes. He peered down into the darkness at the shivering Kagome and sighed.

"What do you want?" he asked through a yawn.

"I want you to come inside. You're going to catch a cold out here," she answered.

"What, are you worried about me?" he chuckled.

"No, but the longer you're sick, the longer you have to stay at my house and that's not exactly pleasant," she answered icily.

"Feh, I don't catch colds. Besides, I don't have anywhere to sleep."

"You could sleep in my brother's room, my mom's room, grandpa's room or on the couch," she explained, "I wouldn't recommend grandpa's room since he's got anti-demon talisman's in there. Mom's got a bunch of girl stuff, and I'm pretty sure that's not your style, and Souta's room has a bunch of toys everywhere, including the bed. That leaves the couch."

"I'm not sleeping on the couch," he said stubbornly.

"Well you're going to have to, unless you want to sleep in my room, and that is not happening."

"Fine, I'll sleep on the couch. Anything is better than sleeping anywhere near you." At this, a rock flew from the ground and hit Inuyasha on the head, causing him to fall out of his tree with a loud thump. "Ow! What'd you do that for, wench!?" But Kagome had already gone back inside and to her room. Inuyasha stood up and limped toward the house, closing the door behind him and flopping down on the couch. He sighed before falling back to sleep again.

* * *

Kagome yawned and stretched as the morning broke in through her window. She could smell the wonderful aroma of bacon and eggs wafting in from upstairs. She happily followed the scent downstairs to the kitchen and was surprised to find Inuyasha working over a stove to make breakfast.

"Inuyasha?" she said in disbelief. Inuyasha flicked his fuzzy dog ears in her direction and turned.

"Oh, hey Kagome. Just a minute, breakfast is almost ready," he answered as he dished the eggs into a bowl. Kagome looked over and saw that the table was set for two people. That meant that he wasn't just cooking for himself. Surprised at his sudden change in characteristics, she stared quizzically at the back of his head.

"Inuyasha, why are you being nice?" she blurted out. She didn't really expect him to answer, so when he did, she was the recipient of yet another surprise.

"I couldn't sleep in this morning because I don't like sleeping on couches, so I decided to busy myself by making breakfast. I hope you don't mind," he said as he placed the food on the table and filled the cups with orange juice. He turned to her and smiled, pulling out a chair and offering it to her. She numbly sat down and Inuyasha pushed her in. He then walked around to the other side of the table and sat. "I hope you like it," he said. When Kagome merely sat there, Inuyasha took action. "Here, I'll serve you." With that, he dished some eggs onto her plate and forked some bacon onto it as well before serving himself. Kagome carefully took a bite, still wondrous at Inuyasha's sudden change in behavior. That's when she saw the devious smile playing across his face and the evil eyes that emerged. She quickly spit the eggs back out and tried to wash the disgusting taste out of her mouth with the orange juice. She just as quickly spit that back out too and ran to the sink to rinse out the taste with tap water, while Inuyasha laughed up a storm.

"What did you do!?" Kagome demanded to know once she regained composure. Inuyasha wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes and struggled to stop laughing.

"Y-you sh-should've seen y-your f-face!" he blurted out as he fell out of his chair, the laughter not subsiding in the least.

"I'll ask one more time before I kick you out, what did you do!?"

"Hehe, I put, hahahaha, l-lots of g-garlic powder in-in the food! Hahahahaha!!" He said, trying to calm down.

"And here I thought you were being nice for once! All men are jerks!" she shouted and stormed to her room, slamming the door shut. Inuyasha had now stopped laughing and stared after Kagome, unsure of why she had gotten that furious. He had only meant it as a joke, not to make her angry. He quietly stood up and cleaned up the dishes before finally going upstairs to check on Kagome. He knocked twice before putting his ear up to the door. He heard loud music playing and a female voice singing along with it. He cracked open the door and peeked inside. He could now see that the female voice was Kagome's, singing along to a pretty good band. He decided now was not the time to apologize to her. 'Wait,' thought Inuyasha, 'Since when was I going to apologize to her!?' He walked downstairs and sat on the couch, not bothering to turn on the TV. He simply made himself comfortable and closed his eyes, running through his thoughts.

* * *

Kagome slowly creaked open her door a crack and peeked through the small crack. She strained her ears to hear any unusual, or usual, sounds. Nothing could be heard or seen from her room upstairs. She finally opened the door all the way, careful to minimize the squeaking from the door. Poking her head out and looking around, she saw that no one was there. She then quietly crept down the stairs and looked at the couch to find Inuyasha peacefully asleep. Kagome couldn't help but let a small smile cross her lips. He always looked so innocent when he was asleep and she knew that she wouldn't be able to stay mad at him forever...unless he did another incredibly stupid thing. But she would wait until then to be mad. For now she needed to eat some real breakfast.

She rummaged through her fridge and pulled out a container of leftover rice and a jug of milk. Setting those items on the counter, she then went through a cabinet and got out some cinnamon and sugar. Peeking back into the living room, she decided that it wouldn't hurt to turn on the radio. If Inuyasha woke up, that was his problem, she decided as she walked to their stereo system and turned on the radio. But of course the only thing that was playing was commercials, so she decided to listen to one of her favorite CDs. Making sure her My Chemical Romance CD was in, she turned it on and headed back to the kitchen. She stuck the rice in the microwave and waited until the timer beeped before taking it out and dishing some into a bowl. Soon she had made a wonderful rice cereal which smelled as good as it tasted.

Kagome grabbed a spoon and turned around, nearly jumping out of her skin to see Inuyasha standing right in front of her, staring curiously at her bowl of rice cereal.

He sniffed the air once and pointed to the bowl. "What in the world is that?" he questioned.

"This," Kagome said as she walked around him, "is rice cereal. It's the best breakfast food ever created."

Inuyasha stared at the ground as Kagome took a seat at the table. "Can I have some?"

Kagome, just about to take a bite of her delicious food, slowly turned around and stared evilly at Inuyasha. When she saw him looking down at the ground, though, her eyes softened and she got up. "Fine, but let me show you how so you don't mess it up, since it seems like you're no good at cooking," she sneered playfully.

"Feh," was Inuyasha's smart reply as he watched Kagome dish some of the still warm rice into another bowl and pour the milk. She then started to put some sugar on it, and seemed to nearly drown it with the stuff. "If you don't put enough sugar on it, it doesn't taste good," she commented, seeing his curious stare. She then sprinkled some cinnamon on it and took a spoon from a drawer, handing it and the now prepared food to him. "Truce?" she questioned, heading back to the table and sitting. Inuyasha sat opposite her and put his food down.

"Truce," he agreed, sticking out his hand. Kagome grinned and grabbed it with her own hand, shaking it. The two then began peacefully eating their breakfast, wondrous at their ability to cooperate with each other.

* * *

"So how are you and Inuyasha getting along?" Sango asked as she twiddled with the phone cord.

"Actually...we're getting along great," Kagome's voice said over the other end of the phone.

"Are you serious? I thought you said you hated him."

"Well, I did. But then he wanted to show me how to make him rice cereal and we called a truce."

"Ah yes, the amazing powers of rice cereal. They never cease to amaze me, you know?" Sango laughed. They had both known that rice cereal was pretty great, but to have such an effect as to calm two angry and fierce spirits was quite astounding. "Ok, at least you guys aren't tearing each other's throats out, but are you going to go back to the hospital?"

"I'm not sure. Dr. Kaede said that some kids would be swarming the place, so I don't want to go back by myself. You know how evil kids are."

"Yeah, you don't have to remind me," Sango said, glaring at her door. Kohaku was on the other side, pounding on the door for her to come out and take him to the mall. "Speaking of which, I've got to go. Kohaku's getting impatient."

"Alright, have fun," Kagome said sarcastically before hanging up. The phone immediately rang again and startled her. Grumbling, she picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Kagome, dear, it's Mom," came the voice on the other end.

"Oh, hey Mom! How's the festival?" Kagome asked.

"It's lovely dear. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but it completely slipped my mind. Don't you have that friend of yours from the hospital over there? The one with the injuries?"

"Yeah, he's here. And we're both fine."

"That's good to hear. Just don't have any parties and make sure to keep the house clean, ok dear?"

"Yeah, will do. Have fun Mom," Kagome replied.

"You too honey." The phone clicked and Kagome knew her mom had hung up. She also hung up and walked to the living room where Inuyasha was now watching a movie.

"What are you watching?" she asked, sitting down on the opposite end of the couch.

"Poltergeist," he replied simply. Kagome groaned. This movie had always scared her as a young girl, and it never ceased to.

"Can we watch something else?" she asked.

Inuyasha looked over at her with a smirk. "Why? Scared?"

"No!" she instantly replied. "Ok, yeah, I'm scared," she admitted at his questioning look. Inuyasha stared at the ceiling in thought for a moment before patting the area next to him.

"If you promise not to scream too loud, you can sit next to me if that helps," he said indifferently, staring at the TV again, but Kagome thought she could detect a tinge of pink touching his cheeks. She slowly crawled over to him and sat. They watched the movie, Kagome scared out of her mind and Inuyasha wishing he'd never invited Kagome to sit next to him. When the clown started going after the kid, Kagome immediately clenched her hands on the nearest thing to her, which just so happened to be Inuyasha's sleeve. At feeling the slight tug, he looked down at her and saw her eyes filled with fear. He almost laughed, but instead very slowly began reaching an arm around her shoulders. Upon realizing what he was doing, he snatched his arm back quickly, with Kagome none the wiser.

Kazix's AN: Alright, sorry it's so short. I meant to make it longer, but I couldn't think of anything. And sorry that Inuyasha's sort of OOC. I know he'd never tell Kagome to sit next to him, but it's cute, and it's my story, so there! ::sticks tongue out:: Ok, yeah, onto Reviewer Responses.

**Starknight- **Nope, the story's not dead! My computer's not fixed yet, but it's well on its way. We think the only thing now that's broken is the power supply, so we ordered a new one. Thanks for reviewing!

**Fantasy-Seal-** Yes, MXC does rule. Hehe, so funny. Thanks for reviewing!

**puritystarz-** Yes, there is Kikyou bashing, because it is so much fun! BWAHAHAHAHA. Cheesecake's got an account. His penname is Xessive, so...you'll have to find it yourself though, lol.

**Inuyasha's Priestess-** Don't worry, there will be more romance, but Kagome would never get drunk. I have a good plan for getting the romance started though, so don't worry. Thanks for reviewing!

Well, that's all for the reviewers. Oh yeah, I've got an important announcement! Or denouncement...however you look at it. Anyway, cheesecake doesn't plan on ever writing anything ::glare:: so sadly, he's not going to be my coauthor anymore. ::evil grin:: if any of you would like to try to convince him to write something, I'd be most appreciative! Give it a shot, coz I can't convince him. Maybe one of his rabid fangirls can though, lol. Thanks for reading, guys! Until next time!


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